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Attorney General Lawrence Wasden brings Girl Talk: Choices and Consequences of Underage Drinking to Fort Boise High School to Address Alarming Data on Moms, Daughters, and Underage Drinking

Mar

13

2008

BOISE, ID — A recent survey commissioned by The
Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility, a national not-for-profit organization funded by
America's leading distilled spirits producers, revealed that nearly
half of all mothers think underage drinking is acceptable under some
circumstances. The survey found that mothers of teenage daughters
underestimate the occurrence of underage drinking among their own
daughters and misjudge the seriousness of the issue.

To address this gap in knowledge of the prevalence of underage
drinking in Idaho, Attorney General Lawrence Wasden; Shannon Page,
Director of Coordinated School Health; and Erik Strickland of The
Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility, an organization dedicated to fighting drunk driving
and underage drinking and funded by distillers; partnered to bring Girl Talk: Choices and Consequences of Underage Drinking to Fort Boise High School.

In addition to today's event Attorney General Wasden recorded
television and radio public service announcements which remind parents
to talk to their daughters about the dangers of underage drinking. We
encourage stations to air this spots often to help spread the message.

16% of 13-15 year old girls say they drink with friends, only 5% of their mothers think their daughters are drinking;

30% of 16-18 year old girls say they drink with friends, only 9% of their mothers think their daughters are drinking;

51% of 19-21 year old girls say they drink with friends and only 32% of their mothers think their daughters are drinking.

Alarmingly, mothers say underage drinking is acceptable

Nearly half (49%) of mothers of teenage girls say it is okay for their daughters to drink;

38% of mothers say it is okay for their daughters to drink on special occasions;

21% of mothers say it is okay to drink under parental supervision at home;

20% of mothers say drinking alcohol is a natural part of growing up.

71% of Girls Think Health Consequences Serious
When asked
how serious they thought health risks were for teens that drink, 71% of
the girls polled stated that they believe the health risks associated
with drinking are serious. Putting a finer point on their concerns, the
research also uncovered "the five strongest health-consequences that
would keep teens from drinking alcohol" according to survey responses
of teenage girls ages 13-18. Among the health consequences they
identified are the following:

Alcohol poisoning/overdose

64%

Rape

63%

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)/HIV-AIDS

52%

Unsafe/unplanned sex

52%

Harm to mental development

39%

Hangover

37%

Pregnancy

45%

Suicide

35%

Harm to physical development

27%

Vomiting

28%

Weight gain or weight loss

28%

Girl Talk: Choices and Consequences of Underage Drinking
In the face of these data, The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility created Girl Talk: Choices and Consequences of Underage Drinking
to improve dialogue among mothers and daughters. Developed in
partnership with the Society for Women's Health Research and the
National Alcohol Beverage Control Association, Girl Talk will help mothers initiate and sustain conversations about alcohol.

Girl Talk utilizes the data gleaned from the survey including those health consequences of most concern to the girls. Girl Talk
also highlights the daughters' advice to their moms regarding talking
about underage drinking. Girls participating in the survey responded
that:

Moms must be approachable, able to keep an open
mind and must not lecture or overreact— “just because I am asking about
alcohol does not mean I am drinking alcohol.”

Moms: Keep
the conversation real and personal by telling about your own personal
and real-life experiences, choices and consequences, and if you don't
want to talk about yourself, share the experiences of people you know.

Be
my parent, not my friend. Share your values and set the rules and
discuss the social risks of underage drinking beyond just drunk driving.

The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility has developed a comprehensive program tailored specifically for mothers and daughters including:

Websites, www.girlsanddrinking.org for mothers and www.grltlk.org
for daughters, with additional information on how to have the underage
drinking conversation and links to additional national and local
resources related to underage drinking.

Booklets for
mothers, detailing how to begin the conversation, sustain the
conversation and have an impact as well as information explaining the
facts about alcohol, and addressing issues such as peer pressure and
creative ways to say "no" to alcohol.

Additionally, the US Women's National Soccer Team Players
Association has partnered with The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility on this initiative.
The National Soccer Team Players Association will endorse Girl Talk
through personal appearances at functions and schools, in print and
online media, public service announcements and other integrated
marketing initiatives. Through its official fan club alone, The
Ponytail Posse, the US Women's National Soccer Team Players Association
has the potential to reach millions of girls around the world.

"Idaho’s teenage girls must be strong and say no to peer pressure.
But that's not enough. We must also communicate with these young girls
about why alcohol is dangerous for their growing bodies and the
specific risks alcohol has on a young girl," said Attorney General
Wasden.

Erik Strickland of The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility added, "Girls need to be
informed of the toll that underage drinking can take not only on their
health but also on their grades and reputations. I want all of the
young girls in Idaho to know that underage drinking is wrong and it's
something they need to discuss with their mothers."

About the Surveys
The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility commissioned Teenage Research Unlimited (TRU) to
conduct a comprehensive research project to better understand the
dynamics of underage drinking among mothers and daughters. TRU fielded
a study April 2005 among a national on-line sample - a total of 875
respondents (496 daughters and 379 mothers, 322 of the matching)
completed the questionnaire. Quotas were set to ensure that a
representative number of daughters (and mothers) from each of the
following age segments completed the survey: 13-15 year olds, 16-18
year olds, and 19-20 years olds. The mother-daughter results presented
here reflect the matched mother and daughter data collected. TRU
conducted an additional self-administered online omnibus survey,
OmnibuzzTM, among 802 13 to 18 year olds in August 2005. The data were
weighted for key demographic variables (gender, age, ethnicity, parent
education, region and community-type of place of school) to reflect the
national population. The margin of error for both survey samples at the
95 percent confidence level is + 3 percentage points. That is, if this
survey were to be replicated 100 times, in 95 instances the results
would be within three percentage points of the data reported here.

The Society for Women's Health Research
The Society for Women's Health Research is the nation's only non-profit
organization whose mission is to improve the health of all women
through research, education and advocacy. Founded in 1990, the Society
brought to national attention the need for the appropriate inclusion of
women in major medical research studies and the need for more
information about conditions affecting women disproportionately,
predominately, or differently than men. The Society advocates increased
funding for research on women's health; encourages the study of sex
differences that may affect the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of
disease; promotes the inclusion of women in medical research studies;
and informs women, providers, policy makers and media about
contemporary women´s health issues. Visit the Society's website at www.womenshealthresearch.org for more information.

US Women's National Soccer Team Players Association
The US Women's National Soccer Team Players Association was created
after the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup to represent all the players that
comprise the US Women's National Soccer Team, and give the US Soccer
Federation the assurance that the new Uniform Player Agreement and
Collective Bargaining Agreement would govern its relationship with the
players through the 2004 Olympics. The Association has primarily
functioned as a representation and negotiating body, and is now making
greater efforts to promote its constituent players. More information
can be found at: www.unitedsoccerathletes.com and www.ponytailposse.com.

National Alcohol Beverage Control Association (NABCA)
It is the mission of the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association
(NABCA) to support and benefit alcohol control systems by providing
research, fostering relationships, and managing resources to address
policy for the responsible sale and consumption of alcohol beverages.
Established in 1937, NABCA is the national association representing the
Control States - those political jurisdictions that directly control
the distribution and sale of beverage alcohol within their borders.
Headquartered in the Washington, DC area, NABCA serves its members as
an information clearinghouse and as liaison to federal, state and local
governments, research and advocacy groups, the alcohol beverage
industry, and other organizations impacting alcohol policy.